Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. A. ANDERSON & T. G. HAMRIOK.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 440,122. Patented Nov. 11,1890.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

A. A. ANDERSON & T. G. HAMRIGK. GAR COUPLING.

No. 440,122. Patented Nov. 11, 18 90.

1720512615. again 71m .71,

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE,

ALLEN A. ANDERSON AND THOMAS G. HAMRICK, OF SOMERVILLE,

TENNESSEE. a

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,122, dated November 11, 1890.

Application filed May 23, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALLEN A. ANDERSON and THOMAS. G. HAMRICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Fayette and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplings, and more especially to that class thereof known as arrow-heads and jaws and the object of the invention is to effect improvements upon devices of this character heretofore existing, as well as to provide means for locking the arrow-head of the link in the draw-head of the car.

To this end the invention consists of a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end of a car embodying our improved coupling, the link being removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the improved link we preferably use with the upper plate thereof removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal horizontal section through the draw head, showing the link locked therein. Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the parts in the act of releasing the link. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head between the inner and outer members thereof.

Referring to the said drawings, the drawhead H may be of the usual construction, and is connected to and supported by the car-body in the usual manner, and moving vertically through this draw-head is a pin P, whereby the ordinary link can be used to couple cars provided with this improved draw-head. Within this draw-head is preferably located a box or smaller draw-head h, and within this box slides ablock B, having a V=shaped notch V in its front end and drawn normally to the rear by a cord or chain which passes over suitable pulleys within the draw-head to a drum D, turned by a spiral spring S, although other forms of springs or other means for retracting the block may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention. The sides of the smaller draw-head are open, thereby forming jaws J on each side of the smaller draw-head and within thelarger draw- Serial No. 352,933. (No model.)

head, and just outside these jaws are located pulleys p, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The link which we preferably use in connection with this improved car-coupling is of the arrow-head type, the arrow-head at each end of the link being divided, thereby forming separate or independent arms A, as shown in Fig. 2. K isa block or box forming the body of this improved link, which block is larger than the mouth of the smaller drawhead, in order that it will strike against the same when the cars are coupled to keep the draw-heads properly spaced. The inner ends of the arms A are journaled upon the bolts is within the block, and springs to press the outer ends of these arms normally apart. Vith a link of this construction when the divided arrow-head at either end of the link is forced into the draw-head the heads at the outer ends of the arms A spring outwardly laterally and engage the jaws J at each side of the draw-head, whereby the link is locked therein. hen it is desired to disengage the link from the draw-head,' the block Bis moved forwardly therein, so that its V-shaped notch V will strike the beveled faces of the free ends of the arms A and will force said arms together, thus disengaging the heads from the jaws and disconnecting the link and drawhead.

The means we provide for moving the block B forwardly against the tension of its spring S or other retracting means are as follows: Cords or chains 0 are connected to the sides of the block, pass forwardly therefrom at the sides of the inner draw-head h, pass below the pulleys p, upwardly through the outer draw-head, over pulleys p, journaled on the top thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, thence in- Wardly toward the end of the car, and over pulleys t, carried in a table T, supported by brackets against the ends of the car. Stepped in this table is a tubular shaft U, which is journaled in a bearing a near the top of the car, and is adapted to be rotated by an operating-wheel O, and keyed to the lower end of this tubular shaft just above the table T,

is a grooved wheel G. The cords or chains 0,

after passing over the pulleys t, pass in opposite directions several times around this grooved pulley, and are fastened or secured in any suitable manner thereto. It will thus be seen that when the operating-wheel O is turned the grooved wheel G will wind and draw upon both the chains and will draw the block B forwardly in the inner draw-head, thereby operating the V-shaped notch therein, disengaging the, arrow-heads from the jaws and uncoupling the car. When pressure on the operating-wheel is removed, the spring S, drawing the block B to its proper position, draws upon the chains or cords C and returns the parts to their normalpositions.

The above construction of the car-couplin g would operate successfully under all ordinary circumstances; but where the road had many turns or steep grades or where the cars were liable to rather rough usage the heads of the arms A mightbecome accidentally disengaged from the jaws J, and the cars would therefore become uncoupled at moments when it was undesirable. In order to prevent this, we provide a rod R,extendin g through the tubular shaft Uand having an operating handle or head 0 on its upper end above the operating-wheel O. J ournaled on the lower end of the rod R, between pins 4" thereon, is a for wardly-extending arm or bar M, having a slot m in its body, and in this slot the upper end of the pin P is loosely engaged. In the rod R is a transverse pin Z just below the operating-wheel O, which travels up and down in vertical'slots through the sides of the tubular shaft U, whereby the vertical movements of the rod R are permitted. At the upper ends of the slots Q just mentioned are horizontal openings q therefrom, into which when the pin Z has been raised to its uppermost limit it may be turned to sustain the rod R and the coupling-pin P in this position.

With the above construction and relative arrangement of parts it will be at once apparent that the draw-head may move from side to side or longitudinally beneath the carbody, as is necesary in car-couplings, without affecting the mechanism for moving the block or for raising the pin. The flexibility of the chains or cords O accommodate these motions, and the slot in the bar M, together with its loose connection with the lower end of the rod-R, also permit them. When the pin descends, it passes between the arms A and prevents their moving out of engagement with the jaws J'. 6., toward each other-yet it permits a certain turning of the link within the draw-head, as is necessary in car-couplings. The box K at the middle of the link being larger than themouth of the draw-head prevents the draw-heads jamming against each other and affords ample room for the pivots and springs of the arms A. At the same time cars provided with draw-heads of the above described construction may be coupled by an ordinary link in connection with the pin P. The operating-Wheel O is located at the top of a freight-car or at the top of the railing at the end of the platform of a passenger or baggage car, and the brakeman operates the car-coupling and connects and disconnects the cars, whether by the use of our improved link or of an ordinary link, from that point without having to go or reach between the cars at all.

What we claim is' a 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having jaws at each side, of a link having arrow-heads at each end,each of which arrow-heads is divided longitudinally and its members pivoted in the body of the link, and springs within said body, holding the members of each head in normally-distended position, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination,with a link having arrow-heads at each end, each of which is divided longitudinally and its arms pressed normally apart, of a draw-head having jaws at its opposite sides, a block therein having a V-shaped notch in its front end, a spring within the draw-head, drawing the block normally to the rear, chains leading from said block over pulleys to the end of the car, and means, substantially as described, for drawing upon said chains to move the block forwardly against the force of its spring, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coup1ing, the combination, with a link having divided arrow-heads at each end, the members of which are normally sepa-- rated, of a drawshead having jaws at its sides, means, substantially as described, for disengaging the link from the draw-head, and a pin passing vertically through said draw-head between the members of the arrow-head, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car coupling, the combination, with a link having divided arrow-heads at each end, the members of which are normally separated, of a draw-head having jaws at its sides, a block therein having a V-shaped notch in its front end, a spring within the draw-head, drawing the block normally toward the rear, chains leading from said block over pulleys to the end of the car, a pin passing vertically through the draw-head between the members of the arrow-head, a slotted bar loosely en gaging the head of said pin and extending to the end of the car, and means, substantially as described, for raising the pin and for moving the block against the tension of its spring, as and for the purpose set forth. v

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, the link, and coupling and uncoupling devices, substantially as described, of the upright shaft U, mounted'in supports on the car-body, an operating-wheel O at the upper end and a grooved wheel G at the lower end thereof, pulleys t in the lower support on opposite sides of the grooved wheel, and chains led from said grooved wheel over said pulleys and over guide-pulleys on the drawhead to said uncoupling devices, the whole operating as set forth.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, and the pin moving Vertically through the same, of the upright rod R,

mounted in supports on the car-body, an operating-handle 0 at the upper end thereof, pins '1' near the lower end thereof, and a horizontal bar M, journaled on said rod between said pins and having a slotted body in which the head of the coupling-pin is loosely mounted, the whole operating as set forth.

7. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, the link, the coupling-pin moving vertically through the draw-head, and uncoupling devices, substantially as described, within said draw-head, of a table T and a bearing to, carried by the car-body, a tubular shaft U, stepped in said table and journaled in said bearing and having vertical slots Q With horizontal openings g at their upper ends, an operating-wheel O at the upper end and the grooved wheel G at the lower end of said shaft, pulleys t in said table on opposite sides of said shaft, and chains led from said grooved Wheel over said pulleys and over guide-pulleys on the draw-head to said uncoupling devices, and of a rod R, passing through said tubular shaft, an operating-handle 0 at the upper end thereof above said wheel, a transverse pin Z through said rod, its ends moving in said slots and openings in the tubular shaft, pins 1' near the lower end of said rod, and a horizontal bar M, journaled on said rod between such pins and having a slotted body in which the head of the coupling-pin is loosely mounted, the Whole operating as set forth.

8. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head and the link, of an uncouplingblock, substantially as described, moving within said draw-head, a drum D, a spiral spring S, turning said drum, a cord connecting the drum with'the uncoupling devices, and means for moving the latter against the tension of the spring, as set forth.

9. In a car-coupling, the combinatiomwith the outer draw-head H, a smaller draw-head h therein, uncoupling devices Within said smaller draw-head, and a spring S for normally retracting said devices, of pulleys p, mounted on the sides of said inner draw-head inside the outer, pulleys p on the outer drawhead, and cords leading from said uncoupling devices alongside the inner draw-head, over the pulleys thereon, and on the outer drawhead to the car-body, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN A. ANDERSON. THOMAS G. I-IAMRIOK. Vitnesses W. KE'roHUM, J. J. LINDLEY. 

